Discussion

Italian in Las Vegas?

As I was searching for Italian suggestions for Las Vegas, I came across a post titled "Best 5 Italian restaurant in Las Vegas" but for some reason it has been removed. So what are the good Italian restaurants in Vegas?

I do too. Yes, it's not traditional Italian, but it was one of those places where everything I ate made me go 'mmmmmmm.' Gorgeous ambience, too. Prices were very reasonable for high end dining, with appetizers(me and my wife split one), split pasta(among four), entrees, wine, and French press coffee, we paid $115 minus tip. I've paid more for lesser food. My wife, who usually doesn't like 'fancy' loved Fiamma and talks of going back there. She doesn't talk about going back to Nobhill, the former Aqua, Delmonico, or Prime.

SO and I ate at Fiamma last weekend and it was *horrible*. By far the most disappointing meal I've ever had in Vegas. The decor is strange, the service is horrible - very odd, but I think they had only one waiter for our entire room (12+ tables) but they had about 20 busboys, runners, etc. and 3 manager types (in suits) helping to serve. It was totally disjointed. SO had their $45 3 course menu - grilled scallops (waaaayyy too much char) and spinach app, gnocci with lobster and truffle sauce (good, but gnocchi overcooked) and the tiramisu (we had them box it up and never ate it). I had a spinach and shrimp salad (overdressed, but the shrimp were nice) and the spaghetti with kobe meatballs. I had to send my pasta back (noodles were way undercooked). It took 20 mins to get my food back and by then my SO had finished his meal. The sauce was horrible and the meatballs were eh. The meal was about $120, and even for half of that I would have felt ripped off. It was horrible. Stay away.

I don't think that this is a great Italian restaurant city (compared to how good some of the restaurants here that specialize in other types of cuisine are). I have two old favorites, neither of which are spectacular but both enjoyable and dependable - Bootlegger Bistro on Las Vegas Boulevard South (near Blue Diamond and the outlet mall), and Casa Di Amore, which is on E. Tropicana near McLeod (a few blocks east of Eastern).

Terrazzo at Caesars Palace is an excellent Italian restaurant with pleasant service and surroundings. But one step up on the scale is Circo, at Bellagio - fantastic pasta, the lasagnette is to die for, as are the lamb chops amd most desserts.

I had their Spaghetti Carbonara at Nora's. It was Alfredo sauce with ham and proscuitto. I kind of laugh when I think back on that. I wouldn't eat there again if God came down from heaven and ordered me to eat there.